secretary

1 a person who works in an office, working for another person, dealing with letters and telephone calls, typing, keeping records, arranging meetings with people, etc.a legal/medical secretaryPlease contact my secretary to make an appointment.see alsoprivate secretarySee related entries:Business people,Professions

4 (US English)the head of a government department, chosen by the PresidentSecretary of the TreasurySee related entries:Professions

5 (in Britain) an assistant of a government minister, an ambassador, etc.see alsoundersecretarySee related entries:Professions

Word Originlate Middle English (originally in the sense ‘person entrusted with a secret’): from late Latinsecretarius

‘confidential officer’

, from Latinsecretum

‘secret’

, neuter of secretus

‘separate, set apart’

, from the verb secernere, from se-

‘apart’

+ cernere

‘sift’

.Extra examplesUN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moona former assistant secretary of defenseassistant secretary of commerce under President Clintondeputy secretary of agriculture in the Bush administrationformer Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsensecretary to the Jockey Clubthe Financial Secretary to the Treasurythe First Secretary of the Communist Partythe Secretary for National Defencethe Secretary of State for Educationthe Treasury Department’s Assistant Secretary for Economic Policythe United States Secretary of Statethe former Secretary of State for Energy, Cecil ParkinsonAnyone interested in joining the society should contact membership secretary Bob Barwood.He became permanent secretary at the Department of Transport.He had talks with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.Ms Watson is a former parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Education.She served as club secretary for 25 years.